The Kono and Murayama Statements Are Retroactively Invalid by This Statement

The Kono and Murayama Statements have put Japan’s diplomacy and national defense in chains. While the military threat from surrounding countries is becoming worse, these two statements, which regard Japan as “a bad country”, make the Japanese unable to revise their Constitution. The other day Master Ryuho Okawa, the Founder and CEO of the Happy Science Group, issued the “Okawa Statement – My Proposal” intended to serve as new statement for reference when the government wishes to reveal its understanding of that period in history. We will take a thorough look at the historical truths that underpin the Okawa Statement (see the below statement), and why the Okawa Statement addresses these issues at this moment in time.

Our country once presented the Kono (1993) and Murayama (1995) Statements, proclamations from the Japanese government, but the official views provided in those statements were based on groundless rumors that have not been proven with any historical facts. As the result of those statements, the souls of about 3 million soldiers, who lost their lives in the Greater East Asia War, as well as their bereaved family members, have been inflicted with a deep sense of guilt. Our country and its people in the post war times have been saddled with a baseless, masochistic view of history, which has greatly misled the historical perception of our country. On behalf of the government, I would like to repent for it officially.

Japan fought in the Greater East Asia War in order to free the colonies in Asia from the great Western powers, to defeat the racist policies that came from white supremacy, and at the same time, as a just exercise of the country’s right to defend itself. Due to the insufficient power of the Japanese government, Japan lost its war with the United States after the U.S. dropped its Atomic bombs. Yet, I believe this was a holy war to emancipate its fellow Asian countries whereby a part of the fervent aspirations of the Japanese gods was manifested.

I vow here and now, from this point on Japan swears to be a guardian of peace and justice that will forbid any country from invading and colonizing any other country through unjust and aggressive policies. I hope the Japanese government will organize a national defense force that will not only serve for the peace of our own country but also contribute to the perpetual peace of the world. Furthermore, by this statement I declare the Kono and Murayama Statements retroactively invalid.